Sanctioned by UK And US, Deserted by Museveni! What Next For Among Amid Pressure to Keep Speakership?

Where President Museveni has finally given up on his ruthless girl Among who is sinking under weight of the Americans and British sanctions is a question that carries within it the weight of a verdict already delivered. Anita Among, once the formidable Speaker of the Eleventh Parliament, now appears to be standing on quicksand. Her goose, as the saying goes, looks cooked. The international sanctions slapped on her by both the United States and the United Kingdom—barring her from travel on allegations of corruption—have not only tarnished her image but also cast a long shadow over her political future that even to President Museveni, keeping a distance is seen as safe politically and diplomatically. In Ugandan politics, perception is power, and perception has turned against her.

President Museveni’s recent anticorruption crusade at Kyankwanzi was more than a routine lecture to MPs; it was a coded message, a declaration of disappointment in the leadership of the Eleventh Parliament. His words carried the sting of a vote of no confidence. For a leader who has mastered the art of signaling without outright pronouncement, this was a deliberate strike. Museveni’s disappointment was not abstract—it was directed at the very institution Among presided over. In that moment, the retreat at Kyankwanzi became a courtroom, and the verdict was clear: the Speaker had failed to embody the discipline, integrity, and ideological clarity expected of the NRM’s frontline leadership.

Among’s predicament is compounded by the fact that she is now politically radioactive. The sanctions from Washington and London are not mere inconveniences; they are symbolic shackles. They tell the world—and more importantly, Ugandans—that the Speaker of their Parliament is viewed abroad as compromised. For Museveni, who has always balanced domestic politics with international optics, this is untenable. He cannot afford to have the face of Uganda’s legislature branded as corrupt by the very powers he negotiates with on aid, trade, and security. It is not just a personal embarrassment; it is a strategic liability.

Enter Princess Persis Namuganza, the patient understudy. While Among has been embroiled in scandal and sanction, Namuganza has quietly positioned herself as the alternative. She has cultivated resilience, weathered storms of her own, and emerged with a reputation for defiance and survival. In the chessboard of NRM politics, she is the piece Museveni can move without fear of international backlash. Her record, though not spotless, is free of the kind of global condemnation that now dogs Among. And in politics, being the lesser evil often translates into being the probable winner.

Museveni’s anticorruption rhetoric at Kyankwanzi was not just about cleaning house; it was about preparing the ground for a transition. He spoke of discipline, of ideological purity, of the need for leaders who embody the values of the Movement. These were not abstract ideals—they were criteria. And by those criteria, Among falters while Namuganza fits the mold. The retreat, therefore, was not just a gathering of MPs; it was a stage where Museveni rehearsed the justification for change. His disappointment in the Eleventh Parliament was a coded indictment of its Speaker, and his emphasis on integrity was a veiled endorsement of those waiting in the wings.

The sanctions have accelerated what might otherwise have been a slow erosion of Among’s power. They have made her untenable not just internationally but domestically. Within the NRM, whispers have turned into open speculation: can a sanctioned Speaker continue to lead Parliament? Can the Movement afford to carry her baggage into the next phase of governance? The answer, increasingly, is no. And in that vacuum, Namuganza’s patience begins to look like strategy. She has waited, endured, and now stands ready to step into the breach.

Museveni’s political instincts are legendary. He knows when to cut his losses, when to pivot, when to sacrifice a pawn to save the king. Among, once a loyal lieutenant, now looks like a liability. Namuganza, by contrast, offers the promise of renewal without the stain of international condemnation. The anticorruption crusade at Kyankwanzi was Museveni’s way of signaling that the Movement must cleanse itself, that leadership must be redefined. And in that redefinition, Among is excluded while Namuganza is included.

The race for the Speakership, therefore, is no longer a contest of equals. It is a narrative of decline and ascent. Among’s fall is hastened by sanctions and presidential disappointment; Namuganza’s rise is propelled by patience and positioning. The goose is cooked, and the table is being set for a new meal. Museveni, ever the strategist, is likely to look within the NRM for a solution, and Namuganza stands as the most probable beneficiary of that search.

This is not merely about personalities; it is about the future of the Movement. Museveni’s anticorruption crusade is a reminder that the NRM must constantly reinvent itself to survive. Leaders who falter, who attract scandal, who lose credibility, must be replaced. Among has reached that point of no return. Namuganza, by contrast, represents continuity without contamination. She is the patient heir, waiting for the moment when the old guard collapses under the weight of its own failures.

In the end, the headline captures the essence of the moment: Museveni has all but given up on a sanctioned Speaker, and Namuganza waits patiently, her chances growing with every passing day. The anticorruption crusade at Kyankwanzi was the turning point, the moment when Museveni signaled that the Eleventh Parliament’s leadership had failed him.

Among’s goose is cooked, and Namuganza’s star is rising. The Speakership, once secure in Among’s grasp, now looks destined for a new occupant. And in the grand theater of Ugandan politics, patience, resilience, and timing often matter more than power itself. Namuganza has all three, and that makes her the probable winner in a race where Among is already headed for the exit.